


Kaito no Monogatari 0.5

by NachoAlcan



Series: Kaito no Monogatari [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Gen, High School, Modern Era, Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology References, Psychology, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2020-11-27 09:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20945954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoAlcan/pseuds/NachoAlcan
Summary: -No matter how you look at things, they do look surreal, don't they? They even sound like things out of a fantasy shonen manga!--I cannot say you're wrong, but...--You're always so indecisive... Do you still want to carry on with this? You see, you don't sound too convinced by your own plan.--... I think this is the best choice nevertheless. Let's continue.-Whether you want to accept it or not, every human has their minds filled with problems. It could be something like leaving the oven on or things much more deep and depressing. That's how the human mind works.But what if I told you that the past can leave deeper scars than those people are aware of? What if... a world was so mysterious that the supernatural is commonplace for those with a bigger story than the others?Would you believe when I saw that Kaito Shuragi, a typical highschooler, has his destiny bound to this kind of supernatural events? Kaito's life is bound to... curses.





	1. Prologue / Times of the Unknown

_ **Session 1 - A Reality** _

I could notice between my eyelids the dim sunlight that came in through the window. It was enough to wake me up from a strange dream.

Why? Why must I always come back to this world?

My head... it hurts.

I guess it's already common for me to have this kind of headaches. I think about life too much.

Fantasy worlds? Steampunk cities floating in the sky and fields filled with fairies? Continents inhabited by creatures not even similar to humans? We can leave that to videogames, anime, and manga. Sadly, in this world, the first rule is to be a realistic person.

Or else, you can be easily disappointed.

I have no reason to complain. I know better than other people to distinguish when someone has a better life than another. And honestly, my real life isn't really that bad. It is just...

Boring. Just plain shades of grey that "color" the surroundings. But if you manage to cope with that, moving on isn't that difficult.

Well, I guess I'm not the only one who happens to go through things like these.

In order to stop thinking about that or anything else like that, I stood up from my bed and decided to go downstairs to get some breakfast.

I could faintly see the sun going up and shining brightly. I appreciate such beautiful sceneries. They rarely show up when you live even on the outskirts of the city.

At least, that's the case here where I live.

Well, you cannot judge me for liking things like these. As a "novice" visual novel game developer, I guess it's pretty normal. As well as wishing to have a kind of life like the one of the characters in those games.

It's not like it matters much.

—Hm? What are you doing, Kaito?—

I was suddenly greeted by my mother's voice, asking me about my actions, confused.

—Ah, nothing. Good morning, mom.—

I went back into action, walking down to the first floor of the house and heading into the kitchen.

—Eh? _Eeeeeeeh?_—

And now, I was greeted by a loud reaction from my little sister.

**Megu Shuragi**... she was 13 years old and attended the second year of middle school. I... also have to explain that. For now, let's just say that where we live the education system is something more similar to Japan's education system. Where was I?

Ah, yes, Megu. An energetic, yet cute girl that managed to become popular enough in her class to make every male student confess to her. Her side ponytail and hazel eyes were probably her most symbolic features. She was around 162 cm tall and her hair was dark brown, meaning that other than her ponytail and eyes most of her other features were quite average.

I would describe more, but getting too much into detail about my own little sister can get awkward pretty fast...

—What? What's wrong?—I asked her as I headed to the coffee machine.

—You... never wake up this early, _Nii-chan_...—She said.

For some reason, she had become used to calling me "_Nii-chan_" as if this was some kind of anime or manga. Or even a light novel or a visual novel for that matter. Well, to keep the cringe in my nickname, I won't translate it. That way, you can appreciate feeling my effort to cope with it.

I'll probably start translating it later.

—Oh, that. I'm not very sure either.—

I took the coffee dust from a cabinet and my trusty cup. Then, the milk from the refrigerator and a metal jug to start heating the milk. Like that, I started preparing some coffee for me.

I've always been a coffee fanatic. It wouldn't matter how you could serve it to me or what kind of coffee it was, it was almost a given that I would drink it gratefully.

At a certain moment, I ended up becoming a really good barista. I don't know when though.

—Do you want some as well, Megu?—I asked her.

—Not really...—she said, with a little bit of hesitation in her voice.

I knew more than anyone that Megu loved the coffee I made.

—You sure?—

—... Maybe just a little before heading to school.— She replied.

—I knew you would-... Wait, school?—

I could feel my legs tremble for a bit before I heard the words of salvation.

—Ah, don't worry, it's just me as I've decided to meet with some friends today—she clarified—. It's Saturday.

—Oh...—I felt incredibly relieved for a second—. Hey, where's Ryuu?

—Ryuu-nii-san? No idea.—

Guess it's not necessary to say she also called the middle brother, Ryuu Shuragi, with the "nii-san" thing going on. But only I get the special "Nii-chan" treatment. I guess it's my fault for having her learn about anime...

I turned my head to look around us, but Ryuu wasn't here. He was able to leave a lot of time without any advice, but he always knew how to keep himself out of trouble.

—Ryuu? He must have gone meet up with Kazami-chan.— Mom said.

Now that I think about it, I should also present my mom. I would like to believe she's important enough to describe her, but I'll make it quick.

**Ami Shuragi**. We'll leave her surname as "Shuragi" just because she's married to my father, Michael Shuragi. My mom was a loving and caring housewife but behind her kind smile was a being you wouldn't want to make mad. She was an average woman with black shoulder-length hair and an average height of 168 cm.

That's it for now.

—Kazami...? Oh, that girl in his class who looks a bit scary.— I said.

**Kazami Nanase** was a 3rd-year student of secondary school, like Ryuu. She was an interesting girl, as her only friend was only Ryuu. Her gaze could cut through anyone, but she was also a good girl with long black hair.

In that sense, she reminded me of **Sohari Rain**, a 1st-year student of high school, one year younger than myself. It took just her sudden appearance to have her chosen as the Student Council President. Long black hair, blue eyes... You get me.

She was like a princess or a queen... Or even an empress.

Never talked to her though. Guess her fame around the guys at school has gotten stuck to me as well. It makes sense, considering she had the looks to be just like the main heroine in a visual novel.

However, she was oddly serious and strict. Fitting for the Student Council President, that's for sure.

Now that I think about it, isn't her personality quite the... clichéd trope?

Meh, not as if I knew her personally. It's more of just pure hearsay.

—Nii-chan?—Megu noticed my thinking.

—Yes?—

—You look out of focus. Were you in your own world again?—She asked, a bit annoyed.

—... Maybe?—

—Jeez, you need to focus more on the things around you...—She advised—. Maybe this is why you don't have a girlfriend yet...

—O-Oi, that's-...—

—Well, not like it matters, because I won't let anyone take you away from me!—She raised her voice, probably in an attempt of forcing her power as my little sister.

She grabbed my arm and looked at me while I handed her the coffee. She could be quite... possessive. But her mind isn't strange, so don't misunderstand. My siblings and I actually have quite a good relationship. Of course, we can fight every once in a while, but we'll probably just reconcile minutes later.

And it makes sense. Megu actually requires our help every once in a while, as some of the male students often treat her as a brocon. However, that's only because she gets quite a lot of confessions and she ends up rejecting almost each and every one of them.

Why brocon? It probably has to do with her talking most of the time about both Ryuu and me with her friends. She doesn't have anyone else to talk about, after all, considering she doesn't pay much attention to media in general.

That and Ryuu being almost a celebrity in his year...

—Yeah, yeah—I replied to her attempts of holding my arm and pushed her off of me—. Drink your coffee or you'll get late to your meeting.

—Y-Yes!—She said.

I could hear her loud drinking as I took out my phone to look at the "news". And by "news", I mean all the new tweets on Twitter and posts on Reddit. Mostly memes.

In fact, I even managed to amass a quite good amount of karma out of shitposting on Reddit with original memes. It was satisfying, to say the least.

—Oh? Are you looking at that... Reddit again?—Mom asked me.

—Yeah.—

—That reminds me, weren't you making a new game right now?—She asked.

—You are?—Megu added to her question with excitement.

—Not yet. I'm trying to think more about the story, but I'm uninspired.— I explained.

—Oh, I see. Hope you have an idea soon!—Mom said.

—What a letdown... But it can't be helped. Tell me when you finish.— Megu said.

—Same here!—

—Got it.— I replied.

Pretty much after that, she finished her coffee, said her good-byes and headed to school. Honestly, I wouldn't have the energy to go to school on a Saturday, even if there are no classes and it's just for a meeting.

But it being a Saturday was extremely advantageous for me, as it meant I could do anything I wanted today.

Of course, I would use this day to come up with the new story for the game.

Luckily, the visual novels I've already published and I'm currently selling on the Internet are doing quite well. The ones I sell, it's not for much, so I don't have that much money anyway.

I was (and I still am) actually surprised that they sold so well and that the ones that are free had so many downloads. I honestly didn't think they would be such a hit.

And so, with things in mind, I stood up and...

—Kai, could I ask you something, if it isn't a bother?—

Of course. Should have expected it already. Mom always asks me to get some things for her when I'm around.

I cannot complain though. She even lets me skip my study sessions in order to do this, as long as I bring at least decent grades home and I end up going to university (which I was going to anyway).

—Yes? What is it?—I replied.

—Could you do some shopping for me? I'm tidying everything up, so I would really need that help.— She explained.

—Sure.—

I headed up to her and she handed me some money and the list of things to buy. Seems she had everything prepared for me already, which was good as it meant there would be no time wasted on searching.

And so, my journey to the supermarket began as soon as I left the front door.

...

Luckily for me, the supermarket wasn't too far away from home. It was just a few minutes of walking.

I took everything on the list and put it in the shopping cart I took hold of at the entrance and went directly to the counter.

The walls made of glass made everything on the other side perfectly visible. It also helped the place be well illuminated. But, as I reached the counter, I suddenly looked outside.

It was like something out of a game. I saw... a girl. But she was like no one I've ever seen before.

_Red long hair, a white dress..._

Suddenly, I noticed that... her clothes were ragged and damaged. And her body was like one of an elementary schooler.

«What the-...?» I thought until the little girl disappeared from my sight.

Worried for her, I hurried up to pay for all the stuff and grabbed all the plastic bags with the things on them.

I ran outside, only to be met with the morning breeze still blowing my medium-length hair back and extreme loneliness.

There was not a single soul around me aside from the people in the supermarket.

The first thing that went through my mind was that I hadn't slept enough or well, and to not let myself panic at such an event I took that as reality and continued my way home.

Most things around weren't really incredible news. Everything was as normal as always. Not a single thing had changed.

«Reality can be... _utterly boring_.»

As I thought of that, the figure of that girl came to my mind. I tried to put it off as nothing of interest. That way, it could not change my vision of reality.

However, that sudden event made my whole thought process a bit unstable. Up until that moment, I had lived a normal life like any other... or so I liked to believe. It made sense for me to make such a mess of myself after something that could be considered as "a small event".

Even so, I was unable to think of it as something more than pure coincidence and a little bit of a lack of good sleep. I had already accepted reality as an immovable object, already shaped to suffice with a person's plausible ideals.

For me to show weakness against something as stupid as this wasn't good. I had to be careful not to confuse reality with my imagination. Those two were totally different things.

Suddenly, I heard a few steps and a voice. A voice of a girl that seemed to call for me.

—Kaito? Is that you?—

_ **Session 2 - Winds of Change** _

I turned towards the voice coming from the south path of the "town". Standing there was a tall girl with blue hair and blue eyes. Describing her... doesn't suddenly turn into a song? I remember it's video to be weird but...

Nevermind. It's not as if anyone would get the reference.

Anyway, I knew that girl (who always wore her glasses on her head) very well.

—Ah, Sumika.—

Her name was **Tanioka Sumika**, a classmate of mine. As I've said before, she IS really tall: 174 cm. She was still not as tall as me but I still found it impressive. Not only that, her eyes and hair both matched perfectly, both were blue. More exactly, something like a deep blue of sorts. She had the potential to be the most popular girl in our class but...

—It's been a while. Seeing you outside of your house really is something new.— She said.

—Even I can help with chores, you know...?—I replied to her comment.

—I know, I know. You've always been someone to help the others.—

—So? What were you doing?—

—... Also helping with chores...—She answered.

—Then are you one to talk?—

—I guess not, hehe!—

I sighed. I was preparing to leave, continuing my way home, but she continued talking.

—Hey, did something happen? Before I found you, you had an incredibly worried face... You always look scary, but this time it was a different kind of scary.—

—That last part was unnecessary—I replied—. But... no, nothing really.

—Don't want to talk about it?—She asked and started getting her face close to me while putting her glasses on—. Is it a new story? Is it a story so interesting that even you feel fear of it?! You can tell me anything you want!

There it is. Sumika's "otaku mode". Since discovering that world of anime and manga, she would go into this "mode" whenever she became excited about these topics. Some people even say that she dyed her hair blue to resemble a certain character from a videogame about killing games or that she doesn't even need glasses and uses them for show.

I personally couldn't care any less about her motives. Even if she didn't have many friends, I gladly accepted being her friend one day when we were talking.

I must say, she's not a bad person by any means. While she is notably a bit strange, I once saw her wearing something other than her usual style (a red hoodie with black sweatpants, showing she pays zero to no attention to her appearance). Needless to say, she's not bad-looking or anything like that. She's just... lazy.

Well, she's an artist so I get why she never has the energy to dress up in something different. Don't get me wrong, some artists aren't like this and I know that, but Sumika does fall into that category.

In fact, she's the one who draws all the sprites and backgrounds for my games. She also works part-time in a cafeteria, so she knows her way around preparing coffee.

In the end, she's an interesting person. However, her strange personality seems to pull people away.

—Could you please give me some personal space...?—I asked her.

—No.— She replied almost instantly.

—...—

She liked to tease people. Especially me.

—10 seconds... You're actually getting better at not getting embarrassed from me staring at your face!—She claimed with excitement.

—Tch, shut up...—

She took some steps back and I brushed my hair with my hand.

—Now that I think about it, we're quite similar, don't you think?—She said.

—Huh?—

She was actually really good at coming up with random topics just to make me unable to leave the conversation early. She knew about me being quite an antisocial, so she always tried her best to talk with me as much as she could.

—I said that we're quite similar.— She repeated herself.

—I heard that...—I told her—. How so? How are we even similar?

—We both have the same hobbies and interests, we are both a bit on the more introverted side and physically we do look a bit similar with our height at least!—She said—. You could even go on and call me "_Onee-chan_"!

—I already have enough with a younger brother and a younger sister, so I'll pass.— I replied.

—Aww, I even set everything up for you to call me "_Onee-chan_"...—She said with faked disappointment.

—So it was all a set-up?!—I sighed.

—Well, then you don't want to tell me about that?—

—... What?—

—About what you were so thoughtful about before I found you here.— She explained.

Her face suddenly took a turn to the serious side of herself, all of a sudden.

—Oh, that...—I said—. Hey, have you ever seen a red-haired ghost?

—Huh?—

I hesitated to tell her about the weird event and in the end, I refused. I just left her with that, but she didn't seem to pay much attention to it.

—I see...—She said—. It's fine then. If you need anything, just call, ok?—

—Sure.—

She starting walking forward to where I came from. Suddenly, she was behind my back and I continued looking forward, unable to see her.

—And if you need someone to talk about that or just anything in particular, I'll always there, you know?—She added.

—Of course.—

—Good. See ya!—

I turned to look at her and I could see her walking and waving at me. I waved back and continued walking forward.

Was I just imagining it or pretty much all of that random conversation was so that I told her what I was thinking of...?

I... almost told her. Guess she can be a really good strategist for getting things out of people...

...

—I'm back.— I said as I went through the door.

—Ah, brother. I was wondering why you weren't here.—

The person that met me there was my younger brother, **Ryuu Shuragi**. His hair color was something similar to hazel but he lacked a bit in the height department with a height of around 164 cm. Even so, he was one of the most popular students in middle school. He was kind of the sportsman of the family, after all, being the Captain of the Track and Field Team. 

When I got in, I decided to leave the shopping list on top of the coffee table. The other things, the ones I bought, would go to the kitchen.

—Ryuu? Didn't you go to hang out with Kazami?—I asked confused while going to leave the shopping bag at the kitchen.

—What? No. I just went to school to check on the team's supplies and if I needed to get something—He explained—. Jeez, Megu had the same reaction... How did you even get to that assumption?

—I don't know, ask Mom.—

—Ah, makes sense...—

After leaving all the items in the kitchen, I went to the living room where Ryuu was and sat down on one of the couches.

There, I took out my phone and starting scrolling through Twitter again. However, that session was suddenly interrupted when I took a look around and noticed something.

—Oh, yeah. Ryuu, where's Mom?—I asked.

—She said she forgot to write something on the shopping list, so she went to buy that herself not long ago. She probably went to one of those stores nearby.— He replied.

—Ah, I see.—

It was probably a normal thing that I had a bit of trouble connecting with my siblings by my age. Or maybe I'm not the problem, who knows.

Anyhow, I've been having a bit of trouble talking with Ryuu. We don't have much in common, after all.

It's even possible that he hates me for being locked in my room way too often.

I don't think it could go to such lengths, but the possibility still exists...

—Hey, brother...—Ryuu suddenly called me.

—Hm? What is it?—

—People have been talking about high school's council president. Do you know anything about her?—He asked.

—If I know anything about her...?—

—I don't know, maybe you knew something.—

Looking back at my phone, I answered. —I only know that she's the most talented person I've ever seen, but that makes anyone unable to talk to her. That, as a consequence, makes her mysterious and feared as she's also very strict. But that's just hearsay.—

—Huh... No one talks to her?—

—Haven't seen her talk to anyone since she got here, so I guess not...—I stopped for a second before remembering something—. Oh, wait, some guys try to approach her every now and then, but she often refuses to speak personally with them. Maybe because of her ego?

—... Doesn't she feel alone...?—He asked, confused and a bit worried.

—Maybe so. That could easily be the case, but the situation makes confirming that a challenge.—

—Makes sense...—

—Are you worried about someone you don't even know again...?—I asked him.

—I wouldn't say I'm worried, but if I had the opportunity, I-...—

—You would try talking to her. Is that it?—I finished up for him—. It could be possible for you. Your position might make her look at you as an equal.

—I... don't think that might be the case, but it's possible...—He replied.

I sighed deeply. —Speaking of which, what made you so interested in knowing about her?—

—Just hearsay—He replied—. People in secondary school talk a lot about the famous students from high school. Between those people, there she was.

—I see... Who else gets mentioned?—

—Trunks, mostly. Preyas also gets mentioned quite a lot...—

—Huh~...—

—You also get mentioned every now and then.—

—I see...—My eyes widened a few seconds after hearing that and I stopped to process what I heard, leaving my phone on the table and looking at him—. Wait, what? Me?

—Yeah, but way too rarely.—

—Why?—

—Well, people call you mostly what you just used to call the council president. "_Mysterious_". And sometimes people call you a freak or a weirdo.—

«Can't anyone say anything good about me...?» I thought, but it wasn't as if I really cared.

—However, a really low percentage of students actually compliment your looks despite being a guy who sits all day alone playing videogames.— He added.

«Is that a compliment or an insult...?»

—But don't let that bother you.—

—I wasn't planning to be bothered by that anyway...—I replied.

—It's good that you don't mind what people think...—

Suddenly, interrupting the sudden conversation I had managed to start with Ryuu, the doorbell rang loudly. So loud that even someone on the second floor could hear it.

—Huh? The doorbell?—Ryuu asked.

—It could be mom.—

—I thought I saw her pick some keys up...—He warned.

I stood up quickly before Ryuu managed to get off the couch.

—Leave it to me.— I said.

—Got it. It must be mom anyway, but be careful.— He said.

I walked all the way to the entrance, trying to peek every now and then. However, I couldn't see anyone throughout the oval window on the top part of the door. It would be strange if mom was the one behind the door and she saw me acting all strange. It was still a possibility, as she wasn't tall enough to be seen through that window.

Just in case, I tried to put the façade of being calm. I grabbed the doorknob and pulled it down, opening the door partially.

—Yes?—I asked, to anyone who was behind the door.

As I looked, there was no one behind the door. With a little bit more confidence, I stood in the middle of the doorway, only to realize moments later the little person standing there, looking at me with clear nervousness.

Blue eyes, long red hair and a really short stature... a _little girl_...? With... _torn clothes_...

—... Huh?—

* * *


	2. The World God Only Knows

* * *

** _Session 1 - Silent Goddess_ **

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. As a result, I just stood there, paralyzed, looking at that girl. When I managed to snap out of it, I noticed she was looking at me worried, as if trying to say something to me.

I was still shocked, but at least now I was able to speak properly.

—Um... Who are you...?—I asked.

She looked at me with what seemed to be a little bit of fear. Yes, fear coming from her eyes. For some reason, I was easily able to tell the fear she was feeling.

I was tactless. Really tactless.

However, her fear didn't seem to be directed to me, as she then started looking from one side to another.

I had another chance.

—S-Sorry. Could you tell me your name, little girl?—I asked politely.

She turned her face to me and stared at me for a few seconds.

—... A-Alyssa...—She replied.

«So she can talk...» I thought, showing a little bit of relief.

—R-Right, so...—

—Hey, what's wrong?—Ryuu said as he walked up to the door.

Alyssa, noticing his voice coming, hid behind me and tried to peek. She seemed awfully scared of noises. Or maybe people?

—Well...—

Ryuu managed to see Alyssa behind me and looked at me seemingly confused.

—... What?—He asked me.

—Honestly, I have no idea. Let me talk with her.— I replied.

I turned back to look at Alyssa and she took some steps back, getting off my back quickly.

—Alyssa, are you perhaps... lost? I don't see your parents anywhere.—

After asking that, she looked down and stared at the floor. With that silent answer, I turned back to Ryuu.

—She's lost... I guess.—

—Oh... We should help her.— Ryuu said, with determination.

—I knew you would say that...—I replied and turned back to Alyssa—. We will help you. However, you must be tired, right?

She shook her head up and down, nodding at us.

—Right. Come on in and take a seat if you want.—

Alyssa now looked at me surprised. I felt as if she couldn't believe I was allowing her to enter.

—If you want to come in, we don't mind, miss Alyssa~.— I said, just in case she was still doubtful, with a little reverence. I guess I was just trying to get her trust by acting dumb.

She shook her head up and down again and, slowly but surely, made her way to our living room. While her clothes were torn, she seemed surprisingly clean.

All of this was still a big surprise for me. Up until now, everything in my life had been all sorts of boring, unoriginal events, yet this one was something new but, most importantly, strange and interesting. I couldn't help but think there was something strange about all of this.

Alyssa managed to get to the couch and sat down. Incredibly, she seemed to calm down, as her face now showed no signs of emotions.

At least that's better than seeing her filled with fear from the beginning until the end.

—So let's go back from the start. Your name is Alyssa, right? But what's your last name?—

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds. However, her answer was tilting her head to the right, showing clear confusion or, at least, ignorance about the matter.

—You... don't know?—I asked.

She looked down and noticed the shopping list I left at the table. She took it and looked at me as if asking me for a pen or a pencil. I took the pen that mom used to write the items to me and gave it to her. It seems she wanted to write something, even though she could clearly speak.

After finishing, she left the pen by her side and turned the paper around.

"I don't know. I don't remember having a last name". That was written on the paper.

I decided to continue asking. Firstly, about her reluctance to speaking.

—I've already heard you speak when telling me your name. Why do you write now instead of just using your mouth?—

Alyssa started writing once again.

"I don't really want to speak. I don't like my voice".

—Why?—

"Some people I passed by before looked at me strangely after I spoke" she wrote, after crossing over what she wrote before.

—Then those people are idiots, you shouldn't pay attention to them.— I said.

Alyssa looked at me confused.

—He's right. We won't say anything about your voice. You can speak to us and, no matter how you sound, we won't think nor tell you anything like that.— Ryuu added.

Alyssa seemed surprised. She stopped writing to think for a while and, after that, she took a deep breath.

She stood up quickly and looked at us with the same serious stare as before. Yet... it seemed to hold an odd charm and warm to it this time around.

—Thank you. I hope you can help me.— She said.

Her voice seemed a little... robotic. It certainly caught me off guard. However, it didn't seem strange to me. But her sudden lack of emotions was interesting nonetheless.

—No need to thank us—I said—. However, to find your home I will need to ask a few more things. Do you mind?

—It's fine.— She said.

—Alright then. First off...—

Unexpectedly, I heard the door opening and a shadow appeared in the living room's doorway.

Well, it was already time for her to show up.

—Ryuu, darling, I'm back! Is Kaito here ye-...?—

The one who got here a bit late was mom. She had finally finished her shopping.

She looked at us shocked, probably even terrified, noticing in an instant how paranormal the little girl that had gotten to our home was. She was like an apparition.

—Oh, there you are. Mind joining our conversation?—I asked her.

...

I asked Alyssa to wait a second so that I could explain the situation to Mom. After I finished, she seemed much calmer, but still a bit confused.

—I see... Well, this is new...—She said.

—It definitely is...—I replied—. I was just asking her a few questions. My plan is then looking around the internet for someone searching for her.

—That was your plan?—Ryuu asked—. That's actually not bad. It is possible that her parents are searching for her through the internet, right?

—Of course. Those "Lost" signs or posts can be easily found around internet, as most of them are actually shared by most people.—

—True...—

—Then... you're saying you'll take care of this?—Mom asked me.

I looked at Alyssa. She seemed to be hearing everything we said but didn't mind at all. However, I had already made a decision.

—You and the others can help if you want, but yes. I'll take care of helping her.—

Both Ryuu and Mom seemed surprised and looked at each other. After realizing the true strength of my words, they smiled and looked at me.

—It's great seeing you so determined, Kai—Mom said—. Why are you so determined to help her so much?

—"Why" indeed...—

—Well, in any case, I'll help you as much as I can, brother.— Ryuu said.

—I'll be counting on you, little brother.—

I stood up and approached Alyssa once again.

—So? Should we continue, Alyssa?—

—Yes. Thank you for helping me... um...—She replied.

Her hesitation reminded me that I hadn't even told her my name.

—Sorry, I forgot. The kid over there is my brother, Ryuu Shuragi and the woman is my mother, Ami Shuragi. Then, there's me. My name is Kaito Shuragi. Nice to meet you, Alyssa.—

—Ah, yes...—

She stood up once again.

—It's nice to meet you, Kaito.—

_ **Session 2 - Warped Reality** _

I sat down at the couch in front of her and decided to continue with the questions. Her name and looks would be enough, but given how strange the situation is no one knows whether that will really be enough.

—Ah, I got it—I said, after successfully coming up with a question—. What's your age?

—... I don't know.— She replied, still with an emotionless face.

—From her looks, I would guess she's nine, I think...—Mom said.

—Nine, huh...? Does that ring any bells, Alyssa?—I asked her.

—... I think I'm older than nine. Probably eleven.—

Finally a "straight" answer. However, she doesn't seem to remember much about herself. Could she have amnesia...?

Considering how calm and serious she is right now, it does make sense that she is older even if her looks don't match. That's why I thought nine was close to her age, but not her age itself.

What else could I ask...?

I was running out of ideas.

...

We asked her a few more things: her birthday, her interests and hobbies, her life... All of them ended straight into the void. They were left unanswered.

It was as if everything in her life up until this moment had been deleted from her memory. Suddenly destroyed.

Of course, there was still a chance we could find her parents even without a lot of information. So, coming to a conclusion with the questionnaire, I started taking a look at the internet on my phone and the newspaper, to see whether I could find her under the "lost" section.

Nothing at all. Not a single hint.

«How can this be...? Her parents should have already told the news, right...?» I thought, with surprise.

That's when it came to me. The last question that I haven't thought of up until now. The question essential to this case.

—Alyssa... since then have you been wandering around, lost...?—

It was obvious that that's an important question. Considering she hasn't probably been wandering long enough, we can assume she could be from the neighborhood or the town at most.

However, I heard from her what I was fearing.

—I believe... it has been more than a month.— She replied, still with a serious look on her face, not realizing the true meaning behind her words.

I was terrified. More than a month...? How was that even possible...? Did she have food or water...?

How has she survived to wander for almost a month?!

«Calm down Kaito, there must be a logical answer to this...» I told myself.

The only thing that would come to my mind was being lucky enough to always find people that would give her stuff. But at least one of them had to have tried helping her find her parents, right...?

Wait, if at least someone had tried, the fact that she's here means that they couldn't manage to find them, right?!

—Kaito-san?—Alyssa called, staring at me.

I was surprised by her sudden calling and turned to look at her.

—Is something the matter?—She asked.

—N-No...—

What would we do...? There was no information on her even a month since she started wandering around.

This case was... unsolvable?

Was there even a way to find her parents?

No, that isn't the point right now. If searching for them won't work, then...

I should ask permission first. This could work or it could not. But no matter what route she ends up taking, things will be better off for her than just wandering without a destination.

...

—What? You want her to live with us?—Mom asked surprised by my sudden proposal.

—Yes. I came to the conclusion that our best option would be letting her parents find us instead.—

—I mean, it's not a bad plan, but...—She hesitated.

—If I tell you that I will help you and Dad pay the things for her, does that sound better?—

—Pay her things?! You mean, with the money you saved from those games?!—

—Of course—I replied—. I have no use for it right now, so we might as well give this plan a try.

—And if it doesn't work?—

—Then we would have already found a home for her.— I said.

She stared at me, unamused.

— ...You really plan to go through with this, right?—She asked.

—I think it might as well be our best bet. Besides, we cannot just leave her.—

Mom sighed deeply and looked back at me.

—You've always been like this...—

—So?—

—It's fine—She replied—. But we'll need your help economically. Is that okay?

—Very okay. Thank you.—

—However, we should wait until midnight for the others to arrive. We cannot just decide on our own.— She explained.

—Got it.—

I went back to where Alyssa was. She had been staring at the house while I wasn't there. When she saw me, she waited while gazing me with her eyes.

—So? What should I do? Should I continue searching?—She asked.

—... I cannot give you a certain answer yet. Could you stay here until midnight? I had an idea.—

—Yes. That'll be fine.—

...

While we waited for midnight, I decided to take Alyssa to my room and make herself feel at home. However, it was also so I could use my computer and look out for her.

Alyssa sat down at my bed and I took the seat in front of my computer, a green wheelchair. I told Alyssa she could do whatever she wanted to do while I played and then turned to look at the screen. I took the earphones and put them on.

—Kaito-san, that's a "commuter", right?—She asked.

I took my earphones off. «Did I hear that correctly?» I asked myself, while I was turning to look at her.

—Um... Could you repeat, please?—I asked.

—That's called a "commuter", right?—She repeated herself.

—You mean a "computer"?—

She started thinking for a few seconds, confused. Suddenly, she looked back at me.

—Yeah, that. A computer—She corrected herself—. I'm not used to the words...

—I see...—

—Do you have a book around to learn the words?—She asked.

—You mean... a dictionary?—

She nodded at me firmly. I was wondering what her idea was. No one would be able to just learn every word from a dictionary, after all.

Or so I thought.

I stood up and got to the library in my dorm. I reached out to one of the English dictionaries I had lying around and gave it to her. She thanked me and opened it from the first page.

—I will finish in 10 minutes.— She suddenly said.

My eyes got wide-open as I processed what she just said. However, a few seconds later, I brushed it off as kids' ego. I took the seat to my computer and started playing a visual novel. Those would always get me distracted, as a novice writer myself.

Nevertheless, the unexpected happened. Ten minutes had passed since she started reading the dictionary and she called out for me.

—Kaito-san, I finished.—

—What?—I asked, confidently about her total failure—. There's no way you-.

—This might sound weird, but I'm able to learn something new almost instantly with zero to no effort. Books and text are the most efficient ways for me to learn things, you see.— She explained, with the dialect of a genius.

She left me unable to catch my own breath. I was shocked and terrified by how inhuman her nature was. The feat she just showed to me was impossible for a human, and yet there she was, having learned all words in the English language in minutes.

I had to test her.

—What's a word that imitates a sound?—

—An onomatopoeia.— She replied.

—Someone who supports a certain ideology publicly.—

—Advocate.—

—One of the first human ancestors to live on Earth.—

—Australopithecus—.

«What?! Why would anyone remember that?!» I thought, not being able to believe she actually did memorize the whole dictionary and language.

This girl... she wasn't normal.

—See?—She said.

—Y-Yes, I can see that. You actually did learn all of it.—

I sighed a bit bothered by my thoughts. Unable to believe what was going on in my life and thinking I must have gone crazy, she brought me back to reality.

—Do you have any other source of information? I would like to learn as much as I can.— She said.

—Huh...?—

—I... want to know why people thought I was weird.—

So... as inhuman as she could be, she was still troubled by something so trivial?

I see. It seems I forgot. She's... still human even with that outrageous mind and soul...

—Would you like an honest opinion?—I asked her.

—Yes. I won't be offended.—

—It must have to be something about that personality of yours...—

—What about it?—She asked, turning her head to one side.

—Well... it's almost nonexistent—I replied—. I cannot seem to understand when you're happy, sad or angry.

—I've read in that dictionary that robots are like that. Does that have to do with anything?—

—It probably has to, yes. It doesn't really bother me, but if you still want to investigate on more take this for a while.—

I took my phone out of my pocket and opened the search engine. Then, I gave it to her.

—This is a cellphone?—

—More specifically, a smartphone—I replied—. It can do a lot of things and can be considered a mini-computer. You just write down what you want to search about and a lot of websites will appear with information about it. Just touch whichever you find interesting.

—I see... I'll take this for a while if you don't mind—She said—. Oh, and do you have another pair of earphones?

—Huh? Yes, I do. Why?—

—No reason. Could you lend them to me?—She asked.

—Um... sure.—

I opened the desk's cabinet and took a pair of earphones from it. I then turned to Alyssa and gave them to her.

—Thank you.—

As soon as she said that, she put them on and immersed herself into the internet.

«Well, that's the end of that. I hope she can stop herself from reading all the pages of Wikipedia...» I thought while turning back at the screen of my computer.

_ **Session 3 - Ghost Rule** _

And so, hours had gone through. At lunch, I went to the kitchen to prepare some coffee for me and Alyssa.

Why did I make coffee for her? Because, when I asked her what did she want to drink, she replied "whatever you drink" while looking at my phone's screen. She seemed to like it though, as she drank all of it even when I thought she wouldn't take her eyes off my phone.

That aside, it was almost dinner. Everyone was already back home and I was still waiting to see if everyone agreed to take Alyssa in until her parents showed up.

Even so, the longer she was by my side, the less I believed anyone would come for her. Everything related to her seemed to become stranger by the second.

However, these thoughts were in my head until I got called back by her. She seemed to have finished.

Well, the only thing that happened was an increase in those thoughts about her.

—I've finished.— She said.

—You did?—

—Yup. I've learned a bit on maths, physics, a lot of material of elementary school.— She commented.

—It seems you also learned about our educational system huh...—I replied—. Wait, did you just say "Yup"?

As soon as I noticed that change into a more informal way of speech, I turned to look at her.

—Yup. Is something wrong with that?—

Somehow, she seemed a little bit more expressive. Her face showed a late form of excitement (probably from learning) and she looked at me with her newfound emotions.

—No, it's nothing. It fits you, that's all.—

—T-Thanks.— She replied.

—Anything else?—

—I plan on continuing with that, as I got distracted by anime.— She explained.

—Good, good for yo-... Wait, anime?—I asked.

—Yes, anime. The ones that were on your YouTube history. I mean, I watched some scenes you had there and saw a few episodes of some of them.—

—So you even saw my YouTube huh... That's what the earphones were for...—

—But I like it. Anime, that is.— She said.

—Well, I'm a fan of anime, so you won't have any problems for watching anime with me.—

Wait, what was I proposing...?

—I see... Then can I stay with you?—She said, getting up from the bed and closing in the distance between us.

She was suddenly getting way too close and I've never been good with social interaction, meaning I got a bit nervous.

—U-Um...—

The topic of her staying here was a secret. It was more so we didn't give her the idea of staying here and so that she wasn't disappointed or sad if we refused to keep her with us.

However, it seems I screwed things up...

—Well...—I saw the clock in my computer—. Oh, look at the time. We should be going to the dining room.

—Right. I'll follow you.— She replied.

Nailed it.

...

She followed me down to the dining room and a few people were already gathered around the table.

—Ah! There you are, Nii-chan! And... huh?— She said. No, I won't translate the "Nii-chan" just yet. All of this is just for you to understand what I have to cope with every day.

Megu was standing there, looking at me confused. No, more exactly, she was looking at Alyssa.

—What? No one told you about our visitor?—I asked her.

—... I know you are always making visual novels with anime tropes but I never thought you would actually be into that, Nii-chan...—She said.

—I'm not! What are you even talking about?!—

While my sister was doubting my innocence, my father appeared all of a sudden, surprising both of us.

—Oh? Mother didn't tell you, Megu?—He asked.

My father, **Michael Shuragi**, was...

Well, let's just say he's an interesting individual. If anything, I would describe him as...

—Well, I'm aware of everything, so let your old father tell you all about it! Haha!—He boasted while taunting her up close.

Not intimidating at all. You could say he was like an old loyal dog.

And he wasn't even that old either.

—Dad, please...—Megu said, a bit bothered.

—I would tell you myself, but I guess Kaito is more aware of this situation than any of us are, so let's leave explanations to him. After all, it took paranormal occurrences for him to get out of his room!—

—Yeah, yeah. I'll explain when everyone gets here.— I replied.

—Paranormal?—Alyssa asked from behind me.

I turned to look at her. —He isn't saying that you are weird or strange, but rather the situation in which you got here.—

—I see...—She thought out loud.

I took a look at the table. There were still a few things missing.

—For now, let's finish putting up the table.— Father said.

—Got it.—

It didn't take us long to finish it. Impressively enough, Alyssa helped us as well, as she wouldn't stop bothering me with trying to be of use or help.

And she was quite acquainted with it, for a little girl that is. She did it faster than any of us.

—Huh... This girl seems to be no damsel in distress!—Dad said.

—I have prepared myself to be of help in any situation possible. Just ask me if you need anything.— Alyssa explained.

—Well, isn't this new...—He added, surprised.

Ryuu came into the dining room a few moments later. We sat down, each on our own individual seats, and minutes later Mom brought dinner to the table.

Luckily, we weren't lacking in money or anything, so we could eat well. I would consider our household middle-high-class. Because of that, feeding one more mouth at least one day wasn't a problem for us. And, well, it didn't seem as if Alyssa was one to eat a lot. In fact, she must've been the one to eat the least.

But before I could ask her anything, the focus of the conversation was suddenly put on me.

—Nii-chan, so... How did she appear here? Alyssa-chan, I mean...—Megu asked.

—Oh, right, I had to tell you... So it was like this...—

I explained the situation to her the best I could. It was a bit short. More like a summary. The way I told it made it seem like a mystery novel or something. Heh, as if something like this could be considered a mystery.

Wait... Nevermind.

—I see...—Megu said—. So what's going to happen now?

—Huh?—

—I mean, right now, she doesn't have anywhere to live in, right?—Megu noted—. What will happen to her?

I knew it wasn't a good idea to make her leave. After all, I was the one who suggested having her stay with us. But the way Megu commented on that made it sound much terrifying.

However, it was the best moment to bring that topic up again.

—That's why I wanted to ask something to all of you—I said, loudly and clearly—. As I couldn't manage to find her parents yet, my idea was letting her live with us. At least until we find them. We cannot just make her leave.

I turned to look at Alyssa who was sitting by my side. She was staring at me and a little feeling of surprise could be felt coming from her eyes. Surprise and... gratefulness.

The others looked at each other, thinking.

—Kindness aside...—Father said—. You seem awfully interested in her, Kaito. Why is that?

—Do I?—

That question was actually just me trying to cover it up. I was definitely interested in learning more about her and her prodigious, inhuman brain.

But I couldn't just go in and tell them about how she learned an entire language in exactly _ten minutes_.

—I don't know, it just felt like that—He replied—. Anyway, I've heard about your offer from mother.

—Yes—I said, and stood up in front of everyone—. If it helps, I can offer my savings from the videogames I've sold.

—Calm down. It does help, but it seems like a little extreme measure.—

—I know, but if that's what we need for having her here...—I continued—, I'll be more than sure about using that money or giving it to you.

—Brother, I'm sure the current income we have suffices for that. Right, Dad?—Ryuu asked.

—I should think...—Father replied.

He could be serious when he wanted to, yet most of the time Mom was the one to decide most of the things.

—It might be a bit hard, but-...—Mother continued for him.

Suddenly, a loud noise could be heard from one part of the table. Like a bang.

When I turned to look, Alyssa was also standing, looking at everyone.

—I'm sorry for barging in, but you shouldn't worry about me—Alyssa said—. I will do anything necessary if you ask me to. About food, I think I can handle having less than the others. After all, I don't usually feel hunger.

—Alyssa...?—

—But I took a liking to everyone here—Alyssa said—. Everyone here is kind and generous... Please, if it isn't a bother, let me live with all of you.

We were shocked by Alyssa's determination. Her words shook the room like an earthquake and all of us just managed to stay there, in complete silence, thinking.

What did she mean by "I can handle having less food than the others"?

—... Well, we never said "no", you know?—Mom said.

—We were going to take you in anyway.— Dad added.

—Really?—Alyssa asked.

—Yes. You seem like a good girl, after all. I've never seen anyone like you before. In fact, if you weren't so small, I would've even let you marry Kaito or Ryuu!—Mom replied.

—Huh?!—Both Ryuu and I shouted in unison.

—However, we'll obviously feed you as well as everyone else. It would be cruel not to—Father said and turned to me—. But, I will ask you to pay for the little things, such as clothes or anything she wants or needs, unless it's too expensive.

—Understood. I can do that.—

—Thank you. Thank you so much!—Alyssa shouted.

For the first time, I could see something similar to an emotion being expressed on Alyssa's face. Her tone even gave her away.

She was happy.

—Kaito.— Alyssa called me.

—Yes?—

—Do you mind if I call you Master?—

_ **Session 4 - Deus ex Machina** _

I'm not going to lie. I was also quite happy. I had grown a bit attached to her, even if it were just a few hours.

I don't know why, but she seems special. Someone I had to meet sooner or later. It's that kind of feeling. It still confuses me, but I wanted to know more.

I mean, "curiosity killed the cat", but when it came to her, I felt the need to know.

Now that she was accepted into our house (at least temporarily), we had to show her around. It could also come in handy to buy her some clothes. Although it was Saturday, today a few shops would stay open up until late. It is something like a tradition for all Saturdays, mostly because of all the tourism here in Aesnow.

There wasn't much time left, however. At least, I had to buy her something to sleep or to wear inside the house.

We went upstairs and, followed by Megu, she showed Alyssa some of her clothes for her to wear in the meanwhile.

—Alyssa, look! This should look good on you!—Megu exclaimed excitedly.

In the end, she ended up with a blue knee-length blouse. Or dress.

I don't know much about clothes, but she seemed to like it.

—Hmm, you look really good in it... I know! It will be my welcoming gift!—

—Are you sure? Won't you use this?—Alyssa asked.

—It doesn't fit me well anymore. That's why you can keep it. Besides, it fits you even more than me!—

Alyssa looked down at her new clothes and said a gentle "thank you".

But now, she was ready to go out and look around the neighborhood. And so we did. We left, trying to hurry our pace before the clothing shops around closed.

—What do you think would look good on me...?—She asked me.

—Huh? Well... We should have you try some things that you like. That should make the choosing easier.—

—I see...—She replied—. But is there anything in particular you like for girls to wear?

—Is that important...?—

—Yup.—

—Well...—

For some reason, something caught my eye on the way, right as she was speaking about what I liked.

It was... a maid dress, at the front of a costume shop. It seemed to be of really good fabric and quality. It just seemed to be stuck to my iris.

—Master, can you buy me that?—She suddenly asked, pointing at the maid dress.

—Huh? W-Wait a second...!—

—Is that not to your liking?—

—I-I mean, it's not that, but...—

If I had to admit, I really am into maids. It must be a side effect of playing too many visual novels and watching so much anime. But to have _her_ wear that was just...!

—Then, can you buy it?—She insisted.

—Well... Fine.—

We headed inside and she took different sizes to try on her. The one that fit her was, funny enough, one of the smallest ones.

She would get out of the changing rooms so that I commented on all of the outfits. I could even tell the confusion in the shopkeeper's eyes...

I mean, it's already bad enough that I got here with a girl way younger than I am, but the other one time I came here was with my sister. Talk about a bad impression.

Luckily, the man already knew me even though I only came once inside. We started talking after he stopped me to ask about why I entered with my sister. Needless to say, it was a little awkward, but it was a funny moment.

In the end, Alyssa chose herself (it seems that asking for my help was just an excuse to make me comment on her outfits) an outfit that was cute rather than revealing. Pride aside, it did fit her. It was perhaps a little too perfect for her.

The outfit wasn't anything new. Your typical black and white maid outfit. The thing that stood out the most was the frailed, transparent white sleeves on it.

But, of course, I told her to take it off for going outside. We put it into the bag the shopkeeper gave us after we bought it and continued looking for clothes shops. Most of them were already closing. When I took my phone to look at the time, it was 1 AM.

Luckily, we found one that Alyssa was interested in. She saw a few clothes from the outside and she wanted to see more, so we got in.

There weren't many interesting clothes in the end. At least she bought a t-shirt and a white shirt, probably for sleeping.

Needless to say, she had a strange taste in clothing.

We had gone quite far enough from home and it was really late, so in the end, we had to turn back and retreat for the day.

—We should go home already, Alyssa.— I told her.

—Alright. I'll follow you, Master.—

It was still an odd feeling to have her call me "Master". But I guess it isn't that bad...?

Nevermind, what am I saying?

Still, I've been having quite a bad feeling about everything since we've gotten out of the house. Not only because it's not even morning, but... there's something else... I don't know what it is, but I still have a bad feeling.

—Master? You look pale...—

Alyssa's description of me really brought me back to the ground. I was too busy thinking.

I had to be more careful.

—I'm fine. Don't worry about it.—

—... Right...—

She didn't seem too convinced by my statement but didn't say anything about the matter either.

In fact, I've been feeling as if we were being watched for some time now. If anything were to happen...

Well, I guess I can leave this world as long as Alyssa is able to go back home.

But all of this... Wasn't all of this an odd coincidence?

It's as if the world is conspiring against me.

The only vehicles left at this time of the day were buses. The buses that were going back to their stations.

So, if necessary, we could run for it.

... I think.

My concentration was focused on feeling if that presence was getting any closer.

It could try anything. Any move on us, at any moment.

And I was right. I suddenly noticed the presence moving closer. There was no way I could be wrong.

I didn't have a low-key paranoia for anything.

It could be that what would make be able to live with her. I need to calm down, I'm getting way too dramatic.

—Alyssa, on the count of three we must run. Grab my hand.— I whispered.

She seemed to hear me, as she slowly and steadily took hold of my hand, trying to be as unsuspicious as possible.

We continued walking normally and I could feel the person getting closer.

«1...»

Instead of talking, I was using my fingers to count. That way, only me and Alyssa could know.

«2...»

The person's footsteps were getting louder, but they were almost inaudible. I could even feel the person's hand reaching my shoulder.

I was terrified, but even so, I was able to maintain my composure. That was so that I could tell her and think...

«3!»

I took a grip on her hand with strength so that I wouldn't lose her on the way and started running fast.

I was unable to know whether the person behind us was following, but we couldn't stop to see. Doing so could mean our doom.

We ran across one street to the other and, almost a minute later, we were reaching home.

We only had to cross one last street.

However, as soon as I took a step down to it, the worst happened. Something so unlucky that makes you wonder if I had a talent for being this unlucky or something like that. It was definitely something that defied all odds.

I could notice an unnatural flash. It was getting brighter.

When I looked to the right, I noticed that I was too late.

A bus was approaching us at top speed.

What happened next went so fast that I can barely take note of it.

I managed to take my grip off of Alyssa and, just in time, I managed to push her back on the sidewalk that we had just left. I used a lot of strength in that. One that I never thought I had. It was more like throwing her onto the sidewalk than a simple push.

But I couldn't save myself anymore. Saving her was my priority and that left me no more time to do anything else. The bus was right by my side already.

When I looked at her, she was horrified by the event. But her eyes...

Have her eyes always been... yellow...?

The last thing I could do was close my eyes.

And, like that, a scene that didn't even take 2 seconds, had ended.

A teenager had just sacrificed himself to save a little girl who just became his family on that exact day.

And, finally, the guy was run over by a bus. That probably means that the street was now filled with red everywhere. Of course, he couldn't know that as he was already dead. What a terrifying thought...

Yeah, that's... the last thing that happened and how my story ended.

... Or so I thought.

...

...

I was still thinking. Even after all that, my mind hadn't collapsed.

Instead of death, I found myself in an even more terrifying situation that could only lead people to insanity.

Life. I was alive.

Not only that, I was...

—Master, it's morning. You have to go to school, don't you?—

When I opened my eyes, I was laying on my bed, with Alyssa trying to wake me up to go to school, the next day I was run over. A Monday like any other.

That must have been when everything I knew about the world started to mean absolutely nothing.

* * *


	3. ???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ???

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_ **THIS WORK IS NOW IN A HALT** _

I've decided to stop the publication of this work for the moment. I came to the conclusion that posting each chapter with so much time in between is extremely underwhelming and boring for everyone who wants to read this.

Instead, I thought it would be better for me and everyone to publish the entire story when it's finished. That way there won't be so many stops between each chapter.

I know this work is not popular and the people who read it are those who have constant (or at least some) contact with me irl, but nonetheless I want those who read it to have a good read, especially in these times with quarantine and the coronavirus still going around.

That said, even if this comes as unnecessary or cheesy, thanks for the support in these two chapters, and next time you hear from me through here you will have the entirety of the story for a little bit of extra entertainment.

Thank you for your attention.

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